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Norse mythology is centuries, even millennia, old but its grip on our sensibilities and influence on popular culture is only increasing. It was in the 13th century when the ancient myths, handed down verbally for hundreds of generations, began to be written down and become solidified. Their popularity grew, slowly but steadily, and their tales of hammer-wielding gods infused into other cultures and myths. It was in the latter decades of the last century however when things really picked up the pace.
Originally the references, oblique or explicit, were restricted to niche, mainly European science fiction and fantasy, as well as featuring more prominently in role playing games. Heavy metal, particularly in and around its Scandinavian homeland, also embraced these themes, even creating its own genre – Viking metal. The biggest bands were undoubtedly Amon Amarth and Bathory, both from Sweden, but many will point to the fact that years earlier Led Zeppelin were heavily influenced by Norse legends for much of their writing.
Then, in the last two or three decades of the twentieth century, Japanese anime culture picked up on it at around the same time that Hollywood did. That double pronged sword, perhaps the two greatest influencers of popular culture throughout the world, meant that Norse mythology would no longer be hiding in the shadows but be front and centre, finding its place rightly beside other ancient mythologies. That brings us to an interesting point. Despite Norway having exported one of the most famous and enduring set of legends on the planet, its citizens are not blind to similar ones from other cultures and civilisations. One of the most popular online games in Norway of recent months, Book of Dead revolves around that other great ancient civilization, ancient Egypt.
In western culture, it is Hollywood (and now you have to include TV and streaming services such as Netflix too) that has the biggest influence on popular culture. Once you get them on board, you can more or less conquer the world. As you would expect, movies and TV shows either influenced by or directly dealing with Norse mythology tend to be on the darker side of the spectrum, with horror being particularly good roommates with it. 2017’s The Ritual; The Berserker from all the way back in 1987; and, bringing it almost up to present day, the stunning 2019 release Midsommar are the best examples.
Think of Norse mythology and Thor will usually spring to most people’s minds. As you would expect, the god of thunder features heavily both in the Marvel comic series and on film. 2011’s Thor set the trend, though its sequel with Chris Hemsworth in the lead role again bombed, becoming a movie that became more famous for its mistakes than the quality of the storyline. The franchise was resurrected in 2017 with Thor: Ragnarok and the fourth in the series, Thor: Love and Thunder is due for release in 2022.
Finally, we could not talk about Norse Mythology without mentioning everybody’s favourite marauding tribe, the Vikings. Perhaps the most famous depiction on screen was the six season series simply called The Vikings, which aired between 2012 and 2019. Shortly after the curtains came down on the last episode, it was announced that a spin off, entitled Vikings: Valhalla, would shortly begin filming and would be shown on Netflix.
